Cafe plans to breathe new life into former Kirkcaldy bookies approved

The former Ladbrokes at 302 High Street has sat empty and unused for the past three years.

Now, Mr Imran Haqqan has permission from Fife Council to convert the two-storey building into a ground floor cafe with a residential flat above.

“The building has fallen into disuse and [there is a] lack of market for further retail units on the high street,” Mr Haqqan said in a planning statement. “I would like to bring the property back into use by having a café on the ground floor serving traditional seaside meals and deserts with access for the customers from the Esplanade and the High Street.

He continued: “We are also converting the first floor and the attic level to a flatted dwelling with views over the Firth of Forth. This will help bring people back to living in the town centre and increase footfall in the local area.”

Planning papers state that the property – which overlooks both the High Street and the Esplanade – was currently used as a bookmakers on the ground floor with a first floor staff area. However, the building has been unused since 2020 when Ladbrokes stopped trading at the property.

Although it dates back to 1855 and sits within the local conservation area, the building is not listed.

The newly approved plans will oversee the restoration of the shop front to a traditional style. The exterior wall tiling and shop front will be removed at the ground floor level and the sash and case windows on the first floor will be restored.

The Esplanade elevation will also benefit from a replaced frontage in a more traditional style with a large window to take advantage of the sea views.

The cafe opening hours will be between 10am until 8pm, according to the planning papers. There are no additional details about the name of the cafe or its future offering.